Turkey issued a rare apology and suspended 19 prison officers yesterday after the death of a political activist from injuries allegedly sustained under torture while in custody. Amid a growing public outcry, the Turkish justice minister, Mehmet Ali Sahin, apologised to the family of Engin Ceber, who died of a brain haemorrhage last weekend after being held in Istanbul's Metris prison.

An official inquiry into the death showed that Ceber, 29, had died of "ill treatment", Sahin told Turkish television. "I apologise to the relatives of [Ceber] on behalf of my government and the state," he said. "I am pushing this ahead with a high sensitivity. The number [of suspensions] could rise as the investigation widens. I am very sorry that such an incident was allowed to happen in Turkey at such a time."

The case casts a question mark over the so-called "zero tolerance" policy towards torture proclaimed by Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Justice and Development party (AKP) administration and revived doubts over Turkey's human rights record, which it has committed itself to improving in a drive to meet EU membership requirements. The government says it has dramatically reduced the instances of torture by reforming the penal code.

Ceber was arrested on September 28 with three fellow activists at a protest highlighting the case of Ferhat Gercek, who was left paralysed after allegedly being shot in the back by police last year.

Ceber's lawyer, Oya Aslan, said her client suffered mistreatment at a police station and complained of being repeatedly beaten in prison, where he was detained for allegedly resisting arrest. He suffered a haemorrhage in prison and later died in hospital. The three other activists, who also allege torture, remain in prison. One of them, Aysun Baykal, was reported by the Bianet website to be in a critical condition from injuries and is said to require dialysis treatment.

The prison officer suspensions were announced after the ministry's human rights directorate ordered an inquiry into the incident. Mehmet Sevigen, an MP for the opposition Republican People's party, said that keeping the alleged culprits in place would make it impossible to establish the truth. He also warned that the lives of the remaining detainees were at risk and called on the interior minister, Besir Atalay, to resign.